1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to folding stands, and more particularly, to a folding stand that uses a hinge with a positioning groove to press against a spring strip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A general foldable stand comprises a body and legs. When the legs are unfolded, the body stands with the legs. When the legs are folded, the stand becomes portable. Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a foldable stand of the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, the foldable stand comprises a body 1 and a leg 3. The body 1 comprises a joint groove 2, a spring 5, a bolt 6, and a container 9. The leg 3 comprises a support 8 and a hinge 4. The hinge 4 comprises a set of positioning holes 7.
The joint groove 2 is disposed in the body 1 for accommodating the hinge 4. The spring 5 is disposed in the joint groove 2 to push the bolt 6. Thus, the bolt 6 is pushed into one hole of the set of positioning holes 7 when that hole moves to the appropriate position, and the leg 3 is fixed. The set of positioning holes 7 comprises a first hole and a second hole.
When the leg 3 is unfolded, the support 8 is moved away from the container 9 of the body 1. The support 8 rotates around the hinge 4 until the bolt 6 is pushed into the first hole of the set of positioning holes 7. Then the leg 3 is fixed at an unfolded position and a predetermined angle is formed between the leg 3 and the body 1. Thus, the foldable stand stands.
When the leg 3 is folded, the support 8 is moved toward the container 9 of the body 1. The support 8 rotates around the hinge 4 until the bolt 6 is pushed into the second hole of the set of positioning holes 7. Then the leg 3 is fixed at a folded position and the support 8 is contained in the container 9.
When a user folds the stand, the user has to apply a sufficient force to the support 8 to provide a torque that can enable the bolt 6 inserted into the first hole to slide out and to insert into the second hole. The same condition exists when the user unfolds the stand. Therefore, in design, the spring 5 is not too strong and the set of positioning holes 7 is not too deep. Utilizing such a design allows the user to apply only a little force to fold or unfold the stand, and prevents the bolt 6 from jamming in the positioning holes 7.
However, the design of the stand of the prior art is unable to provide a strong hold for the stand. The stand can fold and unfold too easily. That means the stand is not firm. When the stand is unfolded to carry a heavy object, the leg 3 may be folded by the pressure of the heavy object, causing the object to fall. Thus, the prior art cannot provide a strong stand for the user.